Lesson 07 · 7 min read
The 10 rules of passing a challenge (print this)
Everything in this Academy condenses into ten rules. Traders who internalize them pass; traders who skim them repeat evaluations. Print this page, keep it next to your platform, and tick every box before every session.
The ten rules
These are not suggestions — they are the operating system of every trader who converts evaluations into payouts consistently.
| # | Rule | Why it exists |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Risk ≤1% per trade, ≤2% per day | Drawdown breach ends everything — survival first |
| 2 | Stop loss placed at broker level, always | Mental stops slip exactly when they matter |
| 3 | 2 consecutive losses = platform closed | Removes revenge trading mechanically |
| 4 | No news trades unless explicitly allowed | Slippage breaks your sizing math |
| 5 | One setup, mastered — no experiments mid-evaluation | New strategies are for demo, never for fees |
| 6 | Journal every trade in 3 lines | Patterns invisible in memory show up on paper |
| 7 | Daily scorecard: compliance 0–10, not P&L | You control execution, not outcomes |
| 8 | Halve size after any -2% week | Protects the account while confidence rebuilds |
| 9 | Profit target in sight? Tighten, don't push | Most breaches happen at 9% of a 10% target |
| 10 | Trade the plan for 30 days before judging it | Week-by-week tweaks destroy every edge |
How to use the checklist
Print it. Before each session, tick rules 1–5 (pre-trade). After the session, tick 6–9 (post-trade). Rule 10 is monthly. Any unticked box means the day was a failure regardless of P&L — that standard is what compounds into a funded account.
The uncomfortable truth: this checklist is boring. That is precisely why it works. Evaluations are not won by brilliance; they are won by executing obvious rules for twenty consecutive sessions without exception.
- Pre-trade: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
- Post-trade: 6, 7, 8, 9
- Monthly: 10 — no strategy changes mid-evaluation
What to do the day you break a rule
It will happen. The response protocol: close the platform immediately, write in the journal exactly which rule broke and the emotional state at the time, halve your size for the next three sessions, and re-read rule 10. The traders who eventually pass are not the ones who never break rules — they are the ones whose recovery protocol is faster than their mistakes.
- Close platform immediately — no 'just one more'
- Journal the trigger and the emotion
- Half size for 3 sessions as a compliance tax
- Re-read rule 10: no strategy changes as punishment
Key takeaways
- Ten rules, one page — print and tick daily
- The checklist is boring on purpose: evaluations are won by repetition
- Breach protocol: close platform, journal, halve size, no strategy changes
- Compliance scorecard beats P&L scorecard in every cohort
Frequently asked questions
Can I adjust the rules slightly for my style?
Tighten them, never loosen. If your style needs more room, reduce size instead of widening limits — the math of the drawdown does not negotiate.
Which rule catches the most traders?
Rule 3. Almost nobody pre-commits to closing the platform after two losses — and almost everybody revenge trades at least once. Mechanical defenses beat willpower every time.
Do professional funded traders still use checklists?
Yes — the checklist is more common among funded traders than among evaluation traders. The stakes rise after funding; the discipline must already be in place.